The short-lived Cunningham company contained many personnel taking a break from the financially-troubled Carl Rosa group. Touring with a new piece, The Three Musketeers, meant that, to minimize risk, the rest of the repertoire was extremely popular - Faust, Il Trovatore, and Bohemian Girl. Cunningham himself now sang Manrico, which was a heavier role than he had previously done.
Further dates (Edinburgh) to be added - cast shown is as for the Dundee performance.
Dundee Advertiser: Tuesday, April 25 1899 p4
Her Majesty's Theatre - Trovatore
'Of the numerous melodious works Verdi has produced, none has secured wider or more enduring popularity than Trovatore. Whether sung in English or Italian, French or German, audiences listen with pleasure and applaud with fervour. It has, of course, come under the ban of ultra-classical critics. One German writer on music stigmatized it as mere noise and clamour, but the noise and clamour come from audiences demanding the repetition of the gems of the opera.
'With the works of Verdi, as with those of Balfe and Wallace, it is the living streams of melody that keep them perennially fresh. There are in operatic compositions few grander displays of tragic energy and passion than in Trovatore, and only naturally fine and well-cultured voices can do adequate justice to the music. That success was achieved in the various personations in last night's performance was acknowledged by the bestowal of enthusiastic applause.
'Although Manrico may be termed the hero of the opera, the part affords slight scope for acting, but Mr Robert Cunningham realised the spirit of the role with considerable histrionic force. His rendering of the music was truly artistic and expressive. The fine quality of his voice was splendidly displayed alike in the high notes of the battle song, in the tenderness of the lovely final duet with Azucena, and in the Miserere scene. Throughout the performance was that of an artist who is conscious of his own powers, and has them under perfect control.
'Miss Marie Titiens was seen and heard to great advantage as Leonora, acting with considerable tragic power and expression. She sang the music with superb dramatic effect, and added greatly to the interest and significance of all the concerted strains in which she took part. Mr Laurence Mooney as Count di Luna played with fervent expression alike in his singing and dramatic effort.
'There was true artistic sensibility in Miss Cecilia Staunton's presentment of Azucena. She lifted up her fine contralto voice not only with the good judgment of a trained vocalist, but with all the requisite passion and pathos. Ferrando had a highly capable representative in Mr C F Cooke.
'The choristers are not numerous, but they sang with zeal and energy. Mr Gustave Slapoffski held the voices and instruments well in hand, and secured a pleasing ensemble. Handsomely dressed and carefully staged by Mr T H Friend, the opera passed off satisfactorily from the prologue by Ferrando to the lurid catastrophe.
'To-night Faust will be presented with Miss Alice Esty as Marguerite, Mr Robert Cunningham as Faust and Mr Alec Marsh as Mephistopheles - a cast that ought to please the most exacting taste.'
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